


A Hypo for My Heart

by thevalesofanduin



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Bit of Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Love these idiots, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-03
Updated: 2017-03-03
Packaged: 2018-09-28 03:34:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,827
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10069364
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thevalesofanduin/pseuds/thevalesofanduin
Summary: Jim has reached the point where he's more annoyed than touched by Leonard's worrying. Until he realizes that perhaps, there's a bit more to it than just mere friendship.





	

Jim’s never really had someone to fuss over him.

His mother never really there for it, his stepfather most definitely _not_ the type and most of the partners he’s had always gone by morning. There was Grace, a girl from his high school whom he’d even took to their senior prom. Grace was pretty, with honey-blonde curls that bobbed up and down when she laughed and luscious lips that always curled around Jim so prettily. But when Grace fussed it was about her hair, her grades, her dress. Never about Jim.

So the first time when he stumbles to his dorm after a barfight and Leonard mumbles about idiots under his breath while he patches Jim up, leaves a hypo and a glass of water on Jim’s nightstand in the morning, Jim feels an odd combination of amused and touched.

It’s nice, he thinks, to be fussed over.

 

It’s not nice, he decides a few years later, to have a friend who is obsessed with your health.

A hypo here, a scan there and a diet so healthy it would put a vegan to shame, Jim’s reached the point where if his friend grumbles about allergies one more time he’ll scream and eat a bag of peanuts just to freak Leonard out.

Because it’s difficult sometimes, when Leonard’s all mother-hen mode, to keep his heart from fluttering or hopes from flaring as he thinks _please, please love me back_. But Leonard was married, has a cute-as-a-button daughter and really, how could a man like that ever want a danger-attraction magnet like Jim?

So Jim cherishes the friendship, keeps his heart safely guarded and hopes Leonard doesn’t tire of him – although it’s perfectly okay for Leonard to tire of looking _after him_ so much.

\---

He must’ve eaten something wrong at breakfast.

Maybe the person before him had had nuts with their meal and the machine hadn’t gone through its cleansing cycle properly. Maybe _he_ had ordered something wrong, God knows he’s barely alive before his first coffee so it’s a real possibility.

Either way, his throat feels slightly swollen and his skin itches all over so _something_ is wrong and that something is most definitely an allergic reaction. It’s very light, though, and he’s hardly suffering so there is no reason why he should go down to medbay and worry Leonard.

Nyota passes him by in the hallway just as he’s going for lunch. She raises an eyebrow at him and leans her head to the side with a knowing look. “Just go to medbay.”

Jim huffs, crossing his arms in front of his chest and cheeks puffing a bit in his exasperation. “Bones will fuss.”

“Of course he will.”

Jim levels Nyota with an annoyed glance. “Easy for you to say, he’s not sticking a tricorder in your face at least twice a day.”

Nyota laughs, shakes her head and gives Jim an exasperated look. “Of course not, Spock’s more likely to worry than Leonard is.”

Jim frowns. “What does Spock have to do with it?”

_Both_ of Nyota’s eyebrows go up and she gives Jim a blank look usually reserved for the moments when he’s doing something incredibly stupid. “Really?”

Being a starship captain, Jim doesn’t feel _that_ stupid very often but somehow Nyota always seems to manage to get him to feel like a proper retard with just one word. It’s an art as much as a general pain in the ass, he thinks. “Come on, Uhura. Just tell me.” He pleads because at least with Nyota he knows he doesn’t have to act tough to stay in her good graces – he thinks back to their first meeting and finds himself wondering how she’s come to respect him at all.

“You’re pathetic.” Is the reply Jim gets. That and an eye-roll that looks more affectionate and exasperated than it does annoyed.

“What?” He calls out in an undignified squeak.

But Nyota merely shakes her head, that annoying knowing-yet-secretive smirk on her lips as she turns away from Jim and towards the bridge.

“Get back here! I’ll ask Spock if you won’t tell me.” Jim yells.

Nyota’s laughter echoing down the hallway is all the answer Jim gets.

\---

Jim’s having his lunch in the canteen – a burger, courtesy of Scotty who was quite all right to eat Jim’s salad in exchange for a bottle of alcohol – when Spock joins him.

Jim looks up and smirks. Perfect, just the man he needed.  
He lifts a greasy finger to his friend and says: “So I talked to Uhura today.”

“Not a rare occurrence.” Spock points out and seems to actually _enjoy_ the pile of green leaves on his plate.

“She said that you are more likely to fuss over her than Bones will.” Jim shrugs and glances at his first-officer and friend. “Which means you’d be upset if he would, right?”

Spock’s look is _almost_ amused. “If you are insinuating I would be jealous if the Doctor would worry for Nyota as he worries for you then I must disappoint you.”

“So you’re not jealous?”

“Jealousy is an unnecessary and illogical feeling when one is in a trusting relationship.” Spock says, his tone suggesting that if he were more human and less Vulcan he would’ve probably added a _you dolt_ in there.

Jim raises an eyebrow. “And worrying is not?”

“To worry about ones loved ones is indeed a human trait.” Jim thinks it must hurt Spock to not roll his eyes. “So then you will understand why it would be more logical for the Doctor to worry about you than it would be for him to, as you say, fuss over Nyota.”

Jim frowns for a moment before stuffing a few fries into his mouth. “Well, I guess. But – ”

He is, however, interrupted by Spock before he can finish his sentence. “Doesn’t one worry more depending on the level if intimacy shared between one another?”

“Yes?” Jim replies slowly, mind trying to catch up on what exactly Spock is trying to say here. Because of course the more you care the more you worry. He does the same when it comes to Leonard because if something were to ever happen to the other he doesn’t know what he’d do. So yes, he worries because this is Leonard and damn it, he loves the man.

_Wait a damned minute_

“And doesn’t the Doctor’s worry an exceptional amount when you are involved?” Spock questions, raising an eyebrow.

“Fuck.” Jim mumbles to himself, not quite managing eloquence in the face of realizing his feelings are actually returned. All this time, all the hypo’s and fussing he thought _annoying_ and it turns out they were silent _I love you’s_. “I’m an idiot.”

Spock’s lips curl up into the tiniest of grins for a split-second. “Your words, Captain, not mine.” He provides and turns back to his salad without another word.

\---

Jim’s also idiot – or coward, depending on your view – enough to not actually straight out go to Leonard and say _hey, I’m in love with you and I think you are in love with me as well, let’s make out._

Instead he doesn't say anything and ends up getting himself hurt while visiting a not-so-uninhabited-planet - it comes with the job, _okay_ , it's not like he's asking for it thank-you-very-much. Leonard is his sunny, grumbling self as he plucks thorns out of Jim's back and in-between flinches Jim mumbles: "You could have a nurse do this, you know."

"You might run off." Leonard _sounds_ like he has an eyebrow raised.

Jim huffs, flinches when that hurts his back so he settles on pouting a bit instead because: "You know I won't."

Leonard doesn’t reply. Instead he mumbles “just a few more” to himself as he plucks another thorn from Jim’s back. It’s silent for a few moments in the small room they’re in – Leonard decided that the Captain being stripped like a porcupine at least deserved a room to himself.

After a few minutes Leonard heaves a relieved sigh and Jim can hear him putting down the tweezers. "I like to make sure you're all right." He mumbles and then takes the gel from the small table next to Jim.

When Leonard’s fingers stroke his back, applying the gel, Jim can’t help the shudder that goes through him both at the cool liquid as well as the sensation of the pressure of Leonard’s skillful fingers on his skin. He softly bites his lower lip with a small frown. "I'll still be all right if a nurse would have done this while you take care of people who need you more. You worry too much, Bones."

Leonard pokes a finger against Jim’s unhurt shoulder in protest. "It's my job to worry about you. And the crew for that matter, God knows y’all need it.” He goes back to applying the gel to Jim’s cuts, softly adding: “Besides, you're my friend. I'm allowed to worry."

"Scotty's you friend." Jim points out.

"So?"

Jim rolls his eyes. "You don't worry about him as much. And you gladly hand Spock over to a nurse when it's possible."

"So?" Leonard insists.

Jim swallows because he realizes Leonard has probably caught on by now. He’s a doctor, he’s not stupid. Besides, he knows Jim. Knows that he talks a lot except for when it really counts.

He lowers his eyes to his lap and "just... you treat me differently," tumbles out of his mouth.

Leonard puts the lid back on the gel and puts the jar aside. "If you have something to say then say it, Jim." He says, exasperated but not unkind. No, he sounds encouraging and hopeful.

"Spock says you worry more when you care more." Jim says instead of _I know you love me_ because he can’t get those words out. He’s almost certain they’re true but he can’t get himself to say it, can’t push past the fear that he might be wrong.

The sound of Leonard taking off the micro-gloves is almost deafening in the room.

Jim sucks in a breath, his heart beating wildly in his chest and his brain starts to panic, come up with all the reasons why he was wrong, _so wrong_.

Then, however, a soft hand is placed on his shoulder, Leonard’s long fingers curling against his skin. "I've always cared, Jim." Leonard says, his voice a mere whisper that’s dripping with love and relief.

A surprised, awkward laugh escapes Jim. "I know.” He mumbles, unable to keep the besotted grin from creeping onto his lips. “Or well, I know _now_." He adds and reaches up one of his own hands to intertwine his fingers with Leonard’s. "Me too."

There's a soft kiss pressed against the back of his neck, Leonard's lips lingering for a moment before he pulls away and a warm huff of air ghosts over Jim's neck. "Took you long enough."

Jim just laughs, turns around and catches Leonard’s lips in a sweet, long-overdue kiss.

**Author's Note:**

> Come say hi on [Tumblr](http://thevalesofanduin.tumblr.com/) <3


End file.
